Waterproof housings for electronic devices are known in the art. However waterproofing solutions that function well with smaller devices (e.g., mobile phones) may tend to function less well when scaled up and applied to larger devices (e.g., tablet computers). For example, the use of a radially compressed gasket works well with polycarbonate cases for phones. But, when applied to larger cases, radial compression may tend to cause the structure to flex and decrease the performance of the gasket seal. There is, therefore, a need for waterproof cases for larger devices that are lightweight and maintain an air and watertight seal. Improvements are also needed in the sound transmission for such cases.
A protective air and watertight case is disclosed for use with a predetermined electronic device, such as a tablet computer (e.g., an Apple® iPad®). The case may include at least a housing, a case cover, and also a case seal or gasket positioned between the case cover and the housing.
The housing may include a case member (or case rear or case bottom) into which may be received a predetermined electronic device. The housing may also optionally include other features (e.g., bumpers, buttons, and other over- or co-molded assemblies) that are formed/molded/chemically bonded and/or adhered to the case member that may function as protective elements, gaskets, and/or standoffs for the electronic device.
The case member of the housing may include a plurality of housing attachment structures and, optionally, one or more slots and ports formed therein. The housing attachment structures may be “snap” structures that may render an audible sound on engagement, or other manner of fixtures. Suitable examples of attachment structures include female cavity on the case member that, as will be discussed herein, may be engaged by complimentary male projections on the case cover.
The case member may also include a generally planar surface that extends around the perimeter of the case member. This planar perimeter surface may be positioned on the case member laterally inboard, or alternatively outboard, relative to the housing attachment structures of the case member.
The case member may also include a wall that defines an interior surface and an exterior surface. The wall may have a generally uniform thickness or, alternatively, areas of differing thickness. The wall, for example, may be dimensioned or otherwise shaped to define a recess on the interior surface of the case member where the wall has a thickness of 1.2 mm. Alternatively, the wall may have a thickness at the recess anywhere in a range between 0.2 and 1.6 mm, and it will be appreciated that the rest of the wall may have a thickness that is greater than the wall thickness at the recess. It will also be appreciated that the thinness of the wall at the recess, as will be explained infra, permits improved sound/audio transmission from the interior of the case to the exterior environment.
The wall of the case member may also be dimensioned to include a channel in the interior surface that extends from the recess to a position proximate a location of a speaker of the predetermined electronic device when the device is positioned in the case member. Alternatively, or additionally, the case member may include one or more standoff members that extend from the interior surface and are likewise dimensioned to position a predetermined electronic device in the case member so that a speaker of the device is spaced from the interior surface. The stand-off(s) may, for example, take the form of a plurality of molded rubber ribs co-molded with the case member. It may also be appreciated that other structures (e.g., flanges, pins, etc.) may be used as standoff members and that such standoff members may be mounted to the case in a number of ways include being adhesively/glued and/or assembled. In operation, the channel and/or standoff(s) may form an air passage or pathway that allows audio transmissions from a speaker of the electronic device to move from the speaker, down to the recess, and then out to the environment through the thinner wall at the recess.
The case cover (or case front or top) may also include a plurality of case cover attachment structures shaped to couple with the housing attachment structures. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the attachment structures of the case cover may be complimentary to the attachment structures on the case member. The case cover may also include a generally planar surface that extends around a perimeter of the case cover. The position of the planar surface of the case cover may be laterally inboard, or alternatively outboard, from the case cover attachment structures—and the case cover itself may be shaped so that, in an assembled configuration, the planar surface is directly opposite the planar surface of the case member.
The case cover may also include a screen, with the screen optionally including at least one port formed therein. One or more button features may also be positioned in the port of the screen.
The protective air and watertight case may be formed, in part, by removably joining the case member with the case cover. In joining the case member with the case cover it will be appreciated that the planar surfaces of each will be generally aligned with and opposed to each other. In addition, the planar surfaces of each structure may be shaped or otherwise dimensioned so that a space is formed between the two structures.
The case gasket may be attached to the case member, or the case cover, using mechanical, adhesive means or other means (e.g., over molding), and it may be shaped or otherwise dimensioned to extend into the space between the planar perimeter surfaces of the case cover and the case member. The case gasket, for example, may be formed as a separate member having a mounting portion and a sealing portion. The mounting portion may be mechanically secured to the case cover, or the case member, with the sealing portion extending into the space. The compression of the gasket may then be maintained by the connection of the housing attachment structures with the case cover attachment structures so that, in operation, the case gasket provides a water and airtight seal for the case.
The case member may also optionally include at least one membrane positioned in a slot of the case member proximate a location of a microphone of the predetermined electronic device when the device is positioned in the case member. The microphone membranes may be no permeable to water. The microphone membrane may also include a membrane gasket dimensioned to be contacted by the predetermined electronic device and space the device from the interior surface of the case member. The membrane, which may be formed of a TPU, PI, PEN, PTFE, PVDF, PET or PC material, may have a thickness of from 5 microns up to 2000 microns, a Young's Modulus from 50 MPa up to 80 Gpa, and a density from 500 kg/m3 up to 2500 kg/m3.